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Dogs abandoned in Arlington neighborhood

Moray Staiger with the surviving dog that was abandoned on Wade Road in Arlington within the past week. We had to shave all the survivors fur off, just to get her clean, and shes still just a bag of bones, Staiger said.

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ARLINGTON Moray Staiger and Pam Green want people to stop dropping dogs on their road.In July, Staigers children found two Malamutes in their neighborhood, on Wade Road in Arlington, that she estimated had been abandoned in the area at least a month beforehand, to starve and swelter in 100-degree weather. Within the past week, she and Green found three more dogs, this time left out in below-freezing weather. While Staiger was able to nurse the Malamutes back to health, two of the three dogs that she and Green found were already dead from exposure and starvation.Their fur was all matted up and covered in branches, Staiger said. They hadnt been neutered, and they obviously hadnt been looked after in months. We had to shave all the survivors fur off, just to get her clean, and shes still just a bag of bones.Staiger, a technician at the Northwest Veterinary Clinic in Arlington, wants pet owners to know that they have more humane options for no longer caring for pets.In July, Staiger said, There must have been four dogs dumped on this street in the past year and a half. People probably think theyre going to get fed, but theyre not. Most of us already have pets, and cant afford to take in any more.All three dogs were smaller dogs, which Staiger estimated to be about five years old. Both she and Green, who was so incensed she could barely speak, suspect that the dogs might have been the product of unlicensed puppy mills. They urge potential pet buyers to deal only with reputable breeders and pet stores.You pay more elsewhere, but they dont care for animals as pets in places like puppy mills, Staiger said. Theres no reason why these dogs had to go through this. All sorts of people are willing to help, if you cant care for pets any longer. You can call any veterinary clinic and get a listing of the services that are available to you. All you have to do is sit down with your phone for a few moments. I want to make sure this doesnt happen again.To learn more about the dog, call Staiger at 360-658-6406. The Northwest Veterinary Clinic of Arlington is located at 134 N. West Ave, and can be reached at 360-435-3011.

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